Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana are the top three states, having disbursed the third instalment to almost 16.35 lakh, 13.99 lakh and 11.03 lakh farmers, respectively.

Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for one out of every four farmers in the country, has not yet paid the third instalment under PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) to a single farmer, according to the last update Monday night on the scheme’s official website.

The third instalment is due between August 1 and November 30, and a total of 94.88 lakh farmers across the country have been paid Rs 2,000 each so far. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana are the top three states, having disbursed the third instalment to almost 16.35 lakh, 13.99 lakh and 11.03 lakh farmers, respectively.

Concerned about a slowing economy, and particularly with flagging rural demand, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is learnt to have directed her officials to find the reasons for the delay in payments from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. “We have asked the Agriculture Secretary to look into this, and provide us a status in slow-moving states and expedite payments,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.

It was critical that the scheme’s funds reach farmer-beneficiaries, who form the backbone of the rural economy, the official said. PM-KISAN data shows that 6.47 crore farmers benefited from the scheme during the first instalment. The number of beneficiaries dropped to 3.83 crore during the second instalment.